DOCSLIB.ORG

Steps to Being a Zero Waste Consumer If You Need to Buy It

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Steps to Being a Zero Waste Consumer If You Need to Buy It STEPS TO BEING A ZERO WASTE CONSUMER Before you acquire a product, ask yourself these questions: CAN I GO WITHOUT IT? In the past 50 years, Zero waste starts with consuming less! The first step to reducing humans have consumed is letting go of the consumption mentality. Before you take or buy, more resources than in all think critically whether you really need that thing or could you previous history. repurpose something you already have. Source: US EPA CAN I BORROW IT? 26 billion pounds of Buying less means decreasing demand for creating new products so less textiles end up in will end up in the landfill. Ask yourself - how often will you use it? Borrowing isn’t just for books from the library, you can rent anything from landfills each year. formal wear to sports equipment if you dig a little deeper. Source: US EPA ZERO WASTE TIP: Did you know Solana Center has a tool library open to all San Diego residents? CAN I GET IT USED? For every one can of Buying used eliminates the upstream impacts. It’s not just clothes you can get used, you can also buy furniture, sporting garbage we put at the curb, 87 goods, books, and more. You can find these in brick and cans worth of waste have already mortar second hand thrift stores or online from handy sites been made from the extraction such as Nextdoor, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, & ThredUp. and manufacturing processes. Source: World Resource Institute (WRI) IF YOU NEED TO BUY IT... CAN I GET A REUSABLE VERSION? There are many types of reusable items - from water bottles, to The average American uses bags, to soap dispensers. When buying new, seek out products 156 disposable water that will last as long as possible, ideally made with the bottles a year. lowest impact or from recycled materials. For example, Source: Earthday.org switching to reusable silicon bags allows you to ditch single use plastic sandwich bags! CAN I GET IT WITH LESS PACKAGING? Sometimes packaging feels inevitable, but there are ways to avoid a 40 percent of plastic lot of it! Bringing your own reusable containers allows you to go zero waste in the produce section, bulk bins, and even when getting take produced is packaging, out. Keep an eye out for containers made of glass and metal which are used just once and 100% recyclable materials! then discarded. ZERO WASTE TIP: Have you visited the NADA Shop in Encinitas yet? Source: University of California, Santa Barbra Bring a jar to refill your personal care and home good items. WASTE LESS FROM LAND TO SEA CLOSE YOUR WASTE LOOP Before you throw something away, ask yourself these questions: CAN I REPAIR IT? Approximately 350,000 It is often more cost effective to fix something instead of buying another one new. Use tailors, cobblers, and electronic repair shops to mobile phones are keep your things in use. disposed of each day in ZERO WASTE TIP: Look for products with lifetime warranties or pick up a the US. new hobby and become a DIY expert! The internet has many resources Source: US EPA available to guide you, search using keyword “Repair + name of item.” CAN I REPURPOSE IT? Materials need to be heated Whether it was made to be reusable or not, everything can to approximitaley 2500° F to have another purpose with a little creativity. For example, try make a glass jar. using an old t-shirt to clean rather than buy paper towels. Source: ExplainThatStuff Ideas are unlimited, check pinterest.com or find a zero waste blog for inspiration! CAN SOMEONE ELSE USE IT? It takes 1800 gallons of Not only will it reduce waste but you are helping those in need when water to produce a pair of you donate things you no longer want. Try selling online, have a garage sale, offer it in a “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook, or gift to jeans and 400 gallons to someone that might want it. make one new T-shirt. ZERO WASTE TIP: Host a swap party with friends as a fun way to share Source: Tree Hugger resources and refresh your wardrobe waste-free! 75% of America’s waste is CAN I RECYCLE IT? potentially recyclable, but right Find your local recycling guide at edco.com to familiarize yourself with what is and what isn’t recyclable. now we only recycle around 35% of Follow these general principles to recycle right: our waste. Glass and aluminum are 100% recyclable and can go from Empty Floppy Sloppy bin to back on the shelf in 60 days! No food or minimal Plastic that is floppy is NOT residue remaining. recyclable in your blue curbside bin. Source: Rubicon, US EPA, RecyclingFacts.org & Earth911 Dry Examples: plastic bags and plastic film. Seek out special recycling for: Rinsed and dried, no Rigid Recyclable E-waste | Plastic Bags | Textiles | Tires liquids remaining. Plastic that is rigid IS recyclable. And more! Check out wastefreesd.org to Loose Examples: plastic bottles, locate sites closest to you. Do not bag recyclables. (non-compostable) take out containers. Scan to learn more about recycling in Encinitas! Do NOT put in your curbside recycling bin: Plastic bags (and other film plastic) Food soiled items (a little residue is ok) Cords, ropes and other tangling items (Christmas lights and hoses) Hazardous waste (electronics, bulbs, batteries, propane tanks, paint etc.) WASTE LESS FROM LAND TO SEA.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Assessment of the Possible Reuse of Extractive Waste Coming from Abandoned Mine Sites: Case Study in Gorno, Italy
    sustainability Article Assessment of the Possible Reuse of Extractive Waste Coming from Abandoned Mine Sites: Case Study in Gorno, Italy Neha Mehta 1,2, Giovanna Antonella Dino 1,*, Iride Passarella 3, Franco Ajmone-Marsan 4, Piergiorgio Rossetti 1 and Domenico Antonio De Luca 1 1 Department of Earth Sciences, University of Turin, 10125 Torino, Italy; [email protected] (N.M.); [email protected] (P.R.); [email protected] (D.A.D.L.) 2 School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT9 5AH, UK 3 Horizon s.r.l., 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy; [email protected] 4 Department of Agricultural, Forestry and Food Sciences, University of Turin, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +39-011-6705150 Received: 21 January 2020; Accepted: 17 March 2020; Published: 21 March 2020 Abstract: Supply of resources, a growing population, and environmental pollution are some of the main challenges facing the contemporary world. The rapid development of mining activities has produced huge amounts of waste. This waste, found in abandoned mine sites, provides the potential opportunity of extracting raw material. The current study, therefore, focuses on testing the validation of a shared methodology to recover extractive waste from abandoned mines, and applies this methodology to a case study in Gorno, northwest Italy. The methods focused on: (1) analyzing the impact of tailings and fine fraction of waste rock (<2 mm) on plants (Cress - Lepidium Sativum) to assess usability of both as soil additive, and (2) recovering raw materials from tailings and coarse fraction (>2 mm) of waste rock, by means of dressing methods like wet shaking table and froth flotation.
    [Show full text]
  • Workplace Recycling
    SETTING UP Workplace Recycling 1 Form a Enlist a group of employees interested in recycling and waste prevention to set up and monitor collection systems Recycling Team to ensure ongoing success. This is a great team-building exercise and can positively impact employee morale as well as the environment. 2 Determine Customize your recycling program based on your business. Consider performing a waste audit or take inventory of materials the kinds of materials in your trash & recycling. to recycle Commonly recycled business items: Single-Stream Recycling • Aluminum & tin cans; plastic & glass bottles • Office paper, newspaper, cardboard • Magazines, catalogs, file folders, shredded paper 3 Contact Find out if recycling services are already in place. If not, ask the facility or property manager to set them up. Point your facility out that in today’s environment, employees expect to recycle at work and that recycling can potentially reduce costs. If recycling is currently provided, check with the manager to make sure good recycling education materials or property are available to all employees. This will help employees to recycle right, improve the quality of recyclable materials, manager and increase recycling participation. 4 Coordinate Work station recycling containers – Provide durable work station recycling containers or re-use existing training containers like copy paper boxes. Make recycling available at each work station. with the Click: Get-Started-Recycling-w_glass or Get-Started-Recycling-without-glass to print recycling container labels. Label your trash containers as well: Get-Started-Trash-with-food waste or janitorial crew Get-Started-Trash -no-food waste. and/or staff Central area containers – Evaluate the type and size of containers for common areas like conference rooms, hallways, reception areas, and cafes, based on volume, location, and usage.
    [Show full text]
  • Participating in Food Waste Transitions: Exploring Surplus Food Redistribution in Singapore Through the Ecologies of Participation Framework
    Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning ISSN: (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cjoe20 Participating in food waste transitions: exploring surplus food redistribution in Singapore through the ecologies of participation framework Monika Rut , Anna R. Davies & Huiying Ng To cite this article: Monika Rut , Anna R. Davies & Huiying Ng (2020): Participating in food waste transitions: exploring surplus food redistribution in Singapore through the ecologies of participation framework, Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning, DOI: 10.1080/1523908X.2020.1792859 To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2020.1792859 © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group Published online: 16 Jul 2020. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 79 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=cjoe20 JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY & PLANNING https://doi.org/10.1080/1523908X.2020.1792859 Participating in food waste transitions: exploring surplus food redistribution in Singapore through the ecologies of participation framework Monika Rut a, Anna R. Davies a and Huiying Ng b aDepartment of Geography, Museum Building, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland; bIndependent Scholar, Singapore ABSTRACT KEYWORDS Food waste is a global societal meta-challenge requiring a sustainability transition Food waste; transitions; involving everyone, including publics. However, to date, much transitions research has participation; ecologies of been silent on the role of public participation and overly narrow in its geographical participation; Singapore reach. In response, this paper examines whether the ecologies of participation (EOP) approach provides a conceptual framing for understanding the role of publics within food waste transitions in Singapore.
    [Show full text]
  • Sector N: Scrap and Waste Recycling
    Industrial Stormwater Fact Sheet Series Sector N: Scrap Recycling and Waste Recycling Facilities U.S. EPA Office of Water EPA-833-F-06-029 February 2021 What is the NPDES stormwater program for industrial activity? Activities, such as material handling and storage, equipment maintenance and cleaning, industrial processing or other operations that occur at industrial facilities are often exposed to stormwater. The runoff from these areas may discharge pollutants directly into nearby waterbodies or indirectly via storm sewer systems, thereby degrading water quality. In 1990, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed permitting regulations under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to control stormwater discharges associated with eleven categories of industrial activity. As a result, NPDES permitting authorities, which may be either EPA or a state environmental agency, issue stormwater permits to control runoff from these industrial facilities. What types of industrial facilities are required to obtain permit coverage? This fact sheet specifically discusses stormwater discharges various industries including scrap recycling and waste recycling facilities as defined by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Major Group Code 50 (5093). Facilities and products in this group fall under the following categories, all of which require coverage under an industrial stormwater permit: ◆ Scrap and waste recycling facilities (non-source separated, non-liquid recyclable materials) engaged in processing, reclaiming, and wholesale distribution of scrap and waste materials such as ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, plastic, cardboard, glass, and animal hides. ◆ Waste recycling facilities (liquid recyclable materials) engaged in reclaiming and recycling liquid wastes such as used oil, antifreeze, mineral spirits, and industrial solvents.
    [Show full text]
  • Profits from the Past
    Reprocessing and tailings reduction.qxp_proof 29/04/2020 09:50 Page 1 REPROCESSING AND TAILINGS REDUCTION In Colombia, AuVert's technology is being combined with CDE's experience in dewatering Profits from the past and tailings management to extract the remaining precious metals existing in the ground, while removing up to 93% of residual mercury which has to date prevented this land from being used by the local population reasons why mining companies may be cautious about using tailings as backfill material or relocating current day ‘waste’ to an inaccessible area of the mine, according to Gerritsen. “As technology improves, the opportunity to recover more of the metals/minerals increases,” he said. “There are elements where that may not be the case – coal ash, for example, cannot be reprocessed but can be used to produce cement. While tailings dam liabilities and falling water resources are There are certainly opportunities with gold, affecting the ability of miners to start new mines, or expand copper and even coal, for instance.” The strategies companies ultimately pursue for existing ones, these issues are strengthening the case for these ‘waste streams’ depend on the technology reprocessing and retreating ‘waste’ sites or streams. Dan available and the safety of the facilities, Gerritsen Gleeson explores an increasingly diverse market focused on remarked. revenue generation and risk reduction “For instance, it may not be economically viable to reprocess the material currently in a ith improved transparency around recycling and thickening, or SART, plant from BQE tailings storage facility and, therefore, the owner tailings dams and waste stockpiles now Water will only bolster cash reserves through the may decide to close it or put it into a non-active Wpart and parcel of being a responsible recovery of a high-grade saleable copper sulphide state,” he said.
    [Show full text]
  • Procter & Gamble “Zero Manufacturing Waste to Landfill”
    Procter & Gamble “Zero Manufacturing Waste to Landfill” Background One of P&G’s 2020 goals for Operations is that <0.5% of Manufacturing Waste is disposed (to either landfill or incineration without energy recovery) versus a 2010 baseline and our corporate long term vision is to have zero consumer or manufacturing waste go to landfills. This goal and vision will drive an increase in the diversion of P&G waste materials away from disposal to reuse, recycling and recovery solutions and it will drive more sites to achieve zero manufacturing waste to landfill status. All P&G sites will adopt the definition of zero manufacturing waste to landfill below and will follow the subsequent guidelines on measurement, reporting and communications to ensure a consistent approach to zero manufacturing waste to landfill across the company. Definition of Zero Manufacturing Waste to Landfill “Zero manufacturing waste to Landfill means zero manufacturing waste is disposed directly to landfill or to Incineration without energy recovery by the site, except where local legal requirements specify that regulated wastes must be disposed in a landfill” Beneficial Reuse Beneficial Reuse simply includes P&G waste sent for Reuse, Recycling or Incineration with Energy Recovery. Incineration without Energy Recovery and Landfill will count as Disposal. Incineration From an environmental perspective Incineration without Energy Recovery is considered to have few benefits over landfill and much less benefit than Incineration with Energy Recovery. This position is reflected in the globally accepted Waste Hierarchy. Therefore sending waste to incineration without energy recovery will not count as diverting the material from landfill.
    [Show full text]
  • HP Closed-Loop Recycling Advancing a Circular Economy
    • Brief HP closed-loop recycling Advancing a circular economy When you choose Original HP Cartridges and recycle through HP Planet Partners1, you’re taking part in a closed loop—where materials are added and reused to make new products, and no cartridges end up in a landfill. Circular economy vs. Linear economy Purchase and use 1 Original HP Ink or Toner New Original HP Cartridges 6 Return used Non-HP are ready to be 1 cartridges shipped 2 cartridges for free hp.com/hprecycle Poor-quality, 2 costly reprints2 HP uses recycled Cartridges 5 plastics3 in new 3 are sorted, cartridges to disassembled, close the loop or shredded Nearly 90% of 3 cartridges end up in landfills4 Other post-consumer 4 plastics are added to ink cartridges Redefining impact and changing lives HP uses recycled plastic bottles collected in Haiti and from other sources in the manufacturing of Original HP Ink Cartridges. This effort helps to create sustainable jobs, brings opportunity to the people in Haiti, and helps prevent plastics from reaching the Caribbean Sea. For more information on HP closed-loop recycling and our efforts in Haiti, see hp.com/go/Rosette. Together, we’re recycling for a better world The results speak for themselves. Here’s the difference HP made in 2018 by using recycled plastic in ink cartridges instead of new plastic: 60% reduction 39% less 30% average in fossil fuel water used5 carbon footprint consumption5 Enough to supply reduction5 Conserved more than 7.9 million Americans Like taking 533 cars off 7 6 for one day 8 705 barrels of oil the road for one year Bringing used products back to life With your help, we’re closing the loop.
    [Show full text]
  • Annual Report 2010
    Action Earth ACRES Adeline Lo Thank You Ai Xin Society for your invaluable support Anderson Junior College Andrew Tay Assembly of Youth for the Environment So many individuals, food outlets AWARE Balakrishnan Matchap and organizations gave their Betty Hoe invaluable effort, time and Bishan Community Library resources to light the path Bright Hill Temple British Petroleum (BP) towards vegetarianism. Space Bukit Merah Public Library may not have allowed us to list Cat Welfare Society Catherina Hosoi everyone, but all the same, we Central Library of the National Library Board extend our most heartfelt thanks Chong Hua Tong Tou Teck Hwee movement to you. Douglas Teo Dr Raymond Yuen Environmental Challenge Organisation Vegetarian Society (Singapore) ROS Registration No.: ROS/RCB 0123/1999 Singapore 3 Pemimpin Drive, #07-02, Lip Hing Bldg, Charity Registration No.: 1851 UEN: S99SS0065J Family Service Centre (Yishun) Singapore 576147 Foreign Domestic Worker Association (address for correspondence only) Gelin www.vegetarian-society.org Genesis Vegetarian Health Food Restaurant [email protected] Global Indian International School Green Kampung website Greendale Secondary School Green Roundtable Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary Guangyang Primary School NUS SAVE GUI (Ground Up Initiative) NutriHub Herty Chen Post Museum Indonesia Vegetarian Society Queensway Secondary School International Vegetarian Union Prof Harvey Neo Juggi Ramakrishnan Raffles Institution Lim Yi Ting Rameshon Murugiah Kevin Tan Rosina Arquati Heng Guan Hou Serene Peh Hort Park Singapore Buddhist Federation Kampung Senang Charity and Education Singapore Kite Association Foundation Singapore Malayalee Association Loving Hut Restaurants Singapore Polytechnic Singapore Sports Council Mahaya Menon Singapore Tourism Board Maria and Ana Laura Rivarola Singapore Vegetarian Meetup Groups ANNUALREPORTFOR2010 Mayura Mohta SPCA Maitreyawira School St Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School Media Corp Straits Times MEVEG (Middle East Vegetarian Group) T.
    [Show full text]
  • SCRAP METAL ITEMS for RECYCLING Here Is a List Of
    SCRAP METAL ITEMS FOR RECYCLING Here is a list of ACCEPTABLE items that can be donated: Air Conditioners Electrical Panels Metal Fireplaces Old Metal Vent Pipes Aluminum Drainpipes Electrical Switches Metal Furniture Old Oil Tanks (Cut In Aluminum Gutters Electrical Tools Metal High Chairs Half, No Oil) Aluminum Siding Electrical Wire Metal Lawn Fixtures Old Phones Aluminum Soda Cans Engines (Without Oil) Metal Picture Frames Old Plumbing Pipes (Crushed) Extension Cords Metal Play Pens Old VCRS Baking Racks Faucets & Drains Metal Pool Outdoor Metal BBQ Grills (Without File Cabinets Accessories Furniture Tanks) Fireplace Accessories Metal Pools Outlet Boxes Bicycles Furnaces (Disassembled) Pots & Pans Brass & Metal Bed Go Karts Metal Rakes (No Radiators Frames Grill Accessories Wood) Refrigerators Car Parts Aluminum & Steel Metal Sheds Rotors Cast Iron Bath Tubs Auto Rims (Disassembled) Safes Catering Equipment Hand Tools Metal Shelving Scooters Catering Items Home & Auto Tool Metal Shovels Sheet Metal Coat Hangers Boxes Metal Studs Silverware Coat Hooks Jet Skis Metal Tables Snow Mobiles Coat Racks Junk Cars Metal Trash Cans Statues & Figurines Colanders & Lawn Mowers Metal Windows (No Stereos Strainers Lawn Tractors Glass) Stoves Communication Wire Lighting Fixtures Microwaves Swing Sets Computer Towers Metal Baseboards Mixing Bowls (Disassembled) Cooking Utensils Metal Christmas Mopeds Tire Jacks Cooling Racks Accessories Nuts And Bolts Toasters Copper Kitchen Metal Cribs Old Clocks Washers Décor Metal Desks Old Heating Pipes Water Heaters Dishwashers Metal Doors & Vents Water Tanks Disposals Frames Old Lamps Wheel Barrels Door Knobs Metal Entertainment Old Metal Fans Woodstoves Doorbells/Chimes Centers Old Metal Sinks Dryers Metal Exercise Old Metal Trailers DVD Players Weights (Delivered Only) Here is a list of UNACCEPTABLE items that cannot be donated: Computer Monitors Televisions Items Containing PCB’S Food Grade Recyclables: Aluminum Foil, Pet Food Metal Gas Cans Cans, Throw Away Trays, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Utilization of Waste Cooking Oil Via Recycling As Biofuel for Diesel Engines
    recycling Article Utilization of Waste Cooking Oil via Recycling as Biofuel for Diesel Engines Hoi Nguyen Xa 1, Thanh Nguyen Viet 2, Khanh Nguyen Duc 2 and Vinh Nguyen Duy 3,* 1 University of Fire Fighting and Prevention, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam; [email protected] 2 School of Transportation and Engineering, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam; [email protected] (T.N.V.); [email protected] (K.N.D.) 3 Faculty of Vehicle and Energy Engineering, Phenikaa University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 16 March 2020; Accepted: 2 June 2020; Published: 8 June 2020 Abstract: In this study, waste cooking oil (WCO) was used to successfully manufacture catalyst cracking biodiesel in the laboratory. This study aims to evaluate and compare the influence of waste cooking oil synthetic diesel (WCOSD) with that of commercial diesel (CD) fuel on an engine’s operating characteristics. The second goal of this study is to compare the engine performance and temperature characteristics of cooling water and lubricant oil under various engine operating conditions of a test engine fueled by waste cooking oil and CD. The results indicated that the engine torque of the engine running with WCOSD dropped from 1.9 Nm to 5.4 Nm at all speeds, and its brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) dropped at almost every speed. Thus, the thermal brake efficiency (BTE) of the engine fueled by WCOSD was higher at all engine speeds. Also, the engine torque of the WCOSD-fueled engine was lower than the engine torque of the CD-fueled engine at all engine speeds.
    [Show full text]
  • Composting Toilets
    Advanced Methods and Materials AMM201 Composting Toilets This Advanced Method and Material was developed jointly by the City of Bellingham SCOPE Building Department and Sustainable Connections to enhance water conservation ef- All habitable build- forts by providing a means for the installation of composting toilets. ings. DEFINITIONS Composting toilet: A BENEFITS human waste disposal system that utilizes a Composting toilets can help achieve zero waterless or low-fl ush toilet in conjunction water consumption. When used in com- with a tank in which bination with wastewater re-utilization aerobic bacteria break in irrigation and other household water down the waste. reduction techniques, costs can be cut by up to 60%. Additional benefi ts of com- PERMIT posting toilets include: REQUIREMENTS In general, the person Lower electricity costs (to pump water installing the com- and sewage) posting toilet obtains any required permits. Elimination of infrastructure costs For specifi c informa- to provide fresh water or collect and tion applicants should treat sewage contact the COB End state is a valuable fertilizer Permit Center/Build- ing Services Division Contribute up to 3 LEED® points for for more information: your project (360) 778-8300 or [email protected]. The average household spends as much as $500 per year on its water and sewer bill. A four-person household using a traditional 3.5 gallon fl ush toilet will fl ush some 70 gallons per day down the toilet (that’s an annual volume of over 25,000 gallons per year). Compared to sewage systems, on-site composting and greywater treatment has less impact on the environment (large effl uent releases into watercourses and oceans are avoided, disruption to soils systems through pipeline installation is eliminated and leakage of raw sewage into groundwater through pipe deterioration and breakage is eliminated).
    [Show full text]
  • In a Best-Case Recycling Scenario Plastic Packaging Production and Plastic Leakage Still Double by 2050
    In a best-case recycling scenario plastic packaging production and plastic leakage still double by 2050 Here's why reducing plastic production at the source is a real solution to plastic pollution that opens up economic opportunities for all. Recycling, upcycling and waste-to-energy are means to immediately deal with the amounts of plastic waste that already pile up – they are mopping technologies, but they are not reducing the inflow of plastics. Fundamentally rethinking product delivery, service systems and plastic packaging leads to reducing waste at its source, striving for a circular economy with (social) businesses that skip plastics in the first place and might change the way we consume products forever, for the better. Bending the curve of plastic production to overcome leakage “Recycling is better than disposal, reuse is better than recycling, but reduction is best of all. It is easier to deal with a flood by turning it off at its source than by inventing better mopping technologies. “ – Donella Meadows, 1989 1 1 Wasting the World With a Plague of Plastic Debris Donella H. Meadows, Donella H. Meadows is an adjunct professor of environmental and policy studies at Dartmouth College. Los Angeles Times, June 4th, 1989. Online: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-06-04/opinion/op-2370_1_plastics-non-biodegradable-polyvinyl-chloride; Also published in: MEADOWS, D. H. 2008. Thinking in Systems – A Primer, Vermont, Chelsea Green Publishing. Plastic packaging production is predicted to quadruple by 2050 and the plastics peak only to be hit by 2100. Predictions clearly call for reduction of plastics at the beginning of the value chain by skipping single-use plastics in the first place.
    [Show full text]